Heliocentrics, Marshall Allen, Knoel Scott, Bilal ‎– Nuclear War EP (Yellow & Orange Vinyl, RSD 2026)

Nuclear War EP takes Sun Ra’s apocalyptic chant and filters it through the Heliocentrics’ dense, psychedelic rhythmic language, with Marshall Allen, Knoel Scott, and Bilal pushing the material into something both reverent and unruly. The groove is heavy and hypnotic, built on thick drums, warped textures, and a sense of controlled disorientation that suits the source material’s cosmic fatalism. Allen’s alto cuts through with sharp, expressive bursts, while Scott and Bilal add layers of tonal colour that shift between free‑jazz abrasion and ritualistic calm. The production feels raw but intentional, letting the ensemble’s improvisational edges bleed into the mix. It’s less a cover than a re‑activation of Sun Ra’s warning, delivered with modern grit and the Heliocentrics’ signature rhythmic gravity. The result is tense, immersive, and strangely infectious, a collision of cosmic jazz lineage and contemporary experimental funk.